The real estate boom that swept Southern California and the nation is long over, so it's easy to forget that development and traffic were among the most contentious, pressing issues at Los Angeles City Hall just a few years ago.

The pressure to build, grow and densify divided communities and pitted businesses against neighborhood groups in unnecessary and fruitless fights over the future of Los Angeles. As these battles raged - over an apartment complex in Woodland Hills or a big-box store in Sunland-Tujunga - it became clear that Los Angeles needed a clear, coherent vision for growth.

The real estate bubble popped and the drive to develop may have cooled, but this city still has a pressing need for wise civic planning that balances new construction with infrastructure and transportation.

And that is why we kick off our series of editorials today asking the mayor to get back to work by focusing on land-use issues.

Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa himself acknowledged the City of Angels' poor record of growing project by project instead of cultivating and preparing for development. And early in his first term, he told residents his administration would lead the effort for a long-term master plan.

"We need to get in on the ground floor and do the planning now that we are going to need if this city is to grow in a cohesive fashion," Villaraigosa said then.

Yet, that sense of urgency to plan for growth seems to have fizzled with the real estate market. This is a shame. Now is the perfect time to lay the groundwork for future development - before the next boom.

To his credit, Villaraigosa seemed to embrace land-use reform when he first took office. He appointed an ambitious and outspoken Planning Commission, led by attorney Jane Usher, and he chose as planning director Gail Goldberg, who pledged to overhaul the city's out-of-date and largely ignored community plans. Together Goldberg and the commission unveiled a manifesto challenging the city to "Do real planning" - with inspired leadership, higher design standards and more efficient approvals.

But Usher resigned from the commission last year after clashing with Villaraigosa's administration on issues of density and developer incentives. Goldberg just retired this month. And key Planning Department staffers have taken early retirement. If there is a manifesto today, it's more likely "Do whatever planning it takes to get by."

That's not acceptable, and, indeed, is a prescription for a dystopian Los Angeles straight out of "Blade Runner." That's why the changing of the guard at the top of the Planning Department offers an immediate action that the mayor can take to revitalize both the city and his image.

On Monday, the Mayor's Office will officially unveil its next pick for planning director, Michael LoGrande who has been the city's top zoning administrator. First on LoGrande's list should be reviving the discussion over what Los Angeles should look like in five, 10, or even 50 years. He can do that by holding public meetings, polling neighborhood councils and talking with business groups as a first step to craft a master plan for Los Angeles. This plan would map out a strategy for the city to grow, develop and redevelop - while preserving the character of our communities and our quality of life. That master vision should be completed by the end of 2011.

The mantra of the moment is "business friendly," which sounds positive for the economy. In reality, this attitude has wreaked havoc on neighborhoods because it translated merely into a push for faster, more efficient development approvals. Business development is an important goal, but the planning director and department should not simply be an expediter for private interests. An equally important goal is to ensure that development ultimately enhances a community and pays its fair share for the inevitable impacts on parking, pollution, traffic and aesthetics. Villaraigosa must demand that his next planning director balance both demands.

After LoGrande has taken over as planning director, here are four specific action items Villaraigosa can hand to the Planning Department to make Los Angeles a more livable place:

Resurrect the ambitious goal to rewrite all 35 city of L.A. community plans. Budget cuts have stalled the effort to finally draft detailed community plans that give developers more guidance as to what they can build and communities more protection from inappropriate projects.

Surely, Villaraigosa and his new director can find a way to reallocate limited resources or reprioritize work so that Los Angeles can immediately expedite work on the existing draft community plans and begin work on four new community plans next year. The resources dedicated to the work will pay dividends in the future. Private investment flows to attractive, well-planned communities.

Investigate and clearly define Los Angeles' infrastructure needs - annually. The city is supposed to produce an annual growth and infrastructure report each year but it's rarely been performed in any meaningful way. Villaraigosa should demand that his Planning and Public Works departments do this regular assessment. Nor should it be shelved; assessments should be made available to the public, so residents and developers know what infrastructure needs exist.

Keep the focus on the Emerald Necklace. A few years ago, the city spent $3 million on a Los Angeles River Revitalization Master Plan that envisions parks and public spaces at key spots along the river, including Canoga Park. This is the kind of project that will take two decades or more to build, but Villaraigosa can help launch smaller, key projects during his term.

Lastly, Villaraigosa should keep civic planning front and center in the public dialogue. Lay the groundwork for a city that has vibrant commercial sectors, walkable communities, safe neighborhoods and convenient transportation.

Planning might be an unglamorous function of the city, but it is a core responsibility of any municipal government. And though the mayor won't be able to turn back decades of bad planning in his three remaining years in office, he should lay out a citywide vision of Los Angeles' future and see that planning officials follow it. The boom will return, and the city needs to be ready.